258 FEEDS AND FEEDING, ABRIDGED 



Minor points. — Dehorning cows causes a small temporary decrease 

 in milk flow but is repaid a hundred fold in the greater comfort of 

 the herd thereafter. Subjecting cows to the tuberculin test has 

 practically no effect on the yield of milk or fat. Tho milking three 

 times a day may cause a slightly larger flow of milk, it is not profit- 

 able except with very heavy milkers and cows on official test. 



Flavor, odor, and color. — The flavor and odor of milk and its 

 products are highly important. Due to minute quantities of volatile 

 oils they contain, onions, leeks, turnips, rape, etc., give an objec- 

 tionable flavor to milk, unless fed immediately after milking so that 

 the volatile oils may escape from the body before the next milking. 

 When cows are first turned to pasture, we at once note a grass flavor 

 in the milk and butter, which soon disappears or which we fail to 

 notice later. 



Experiments at the Missouri Station ^^ show that the yellow color 

 of butter fat is due to a substance called carotin, so named because it 

 is the same coloring matter found in the carrot. Cows can not make 

 this coloring matter in their body but secure it from feeds which 

 contain it. The yellowness of cream and butter in summer is due 

 to the fact that green feeds are rich in carotin, tho we can not see it 

 because the green chlorophyll masks its color. Bright green hay 

 and yellow roots also contain much carotin, while most concentrates 

 and dry roughages are poor in this coloring matter. 



Butter and cream from Guernsey and Jersey cows is yellower than 

 that from other breeds, not because these cows can manufacture 

 carotin, but because they can transfer to their milk a larger part of 

 the carotin in their feed. They also store the yellow carotin in their 

 body fat, in winter transferring some of it to their milk. 



III. Feeding for Milk Production 



Imitate pasture conditions the year around. — Every daiiyman 

 knows that his herd normally reaches maximum production when on 

 luxuriant pasture in late spring or early summer. As Eckles points 

 out,^- to secure the largest yield during the other months of the year 

 the following summer conditions should be imitated as closely as 

 possible: (1) An abundance of feed; (2) a balanced ration; (3) suc- 

 culent feed; (4) palatable feed; (5) a moderate temperature; (6) 

 comfortable surroundings; (7) reasonable exercise. Upon the ability 

 of the dairyman to maintain these favorable conditions for his herd 

 thruout the year, depend in large measure his profits. 



11 Palmer and Eckles, Mo. Res. Buls. 9, 10, 11, 12; also Cir. 74. 



12 Dairy Cattle and Milk Production, p. 257. 



